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Nurse Jackie Season 1 Episode 1

Pilot

Recap

For a half hour series, we learned a whole lot about Jackie Peyton in this premiere. Let's get right to it!

From the outset, we see that Jackie has an issue with pain pills due to a back injury. She also knows her medical game: a bike messenger comes into the ER with a damaged leg, is essentially blown off by the doctor (Dr. Cooper, more on him shortly) and soon dies from a brain bleed that Jackie had picked up on.

How does she respond to this death? By forging the patient's signature on his driver's license, making him an organ donor. When the patient's pregnant girlfriend later comes in, Jackie steals money from a diplomat (who had sliced open a prostitute and whose ear Jackie earlier flushed down the toilet) and sneaks it into the girlfriend's purse. Point of all this being:

She has personal issue, but nurse Jackie cares a lot about her patients.

Who surrounds her in the hospital? Let's meet the players:

- Dr. Fitch Cooper: The aforementioned ER doc that blew Jackie off. Comes across as arrogant and obnoxious, but seems vulnerable when confronted by the nurse. He also grabbed her boob while being dressed down, claming it was a nervous tic.

- Eddie Walzer: The hospital pharmacist that sleeps with Jackie during the work day and provides her with pain medication. He's in love with her and isn't aware she's married.

- Dr. Eleanor O'Hara: Jackie's BFF at work. Admits that she doesn't care all that much about the patients, but likes to cut people open. Cool accent.

- Mohammed "Mo-mo" de la Cruz: Fellow nurse, gay, Jackie's pal.

- Zoey Barkow: A first-year nursing student that talks a lot. Actually calls Jackie a "saint" near the end of the episode, which throws the main character for a loop.

Overall, a very solid opening installment. It was jarring to see Jackie come home at the conclusion, greet her two daughters and smile at her husband. Quite a departure from the woman we saw at the hospital for the rest of the episode. We're excited for next week.